02_battle_cry-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　base　was　surrounded；　the　gravity　mines　were　in　place；　and　the　fortress　had　set　down　just　where　he　had　predicted　it　would。　The　foolish　Micronians　had　taken　the　bait…an　on…line　puter…and　the　trap　was　almost　ready　to　be　sprung。　Soon　he　would　capture　Zor's　ship；　for　the　glory　of　the　Zentraedi！　And　for　the　honor　of　Khyron。　It　would　be　a　shame　if　he　was　forced　to　take　on　the　fortress　himself。　He　did　so　want　the　credit　to　go　to　Breetai。　If　only　things　weren't　going　so　slowly。　The　leaves　always　made　him　somewhat　impatient。

〃Gerao；　aren't　those　gravity　mines　ready　yet？〃　he　shouted　into　his　link　mike。

The　Battlepod　speaker　crackled　with　static　and　the　monitor　erupted　into　patternless　noise　bars　before　Gerao's　face　appeared　on　the　screen。　His　droid　team　was　operating　at　almost　three　kilometers　below　the　surface。　Gerao　may　have　won　the　collision　bet；　but　it　didn't　pay　to　best　one's　mander。　Khyron　laughed　to　himself。

〃The　energy　accumulation　is　up　to　seventy　percent；　my　lord。　Not　much　longer。〃

〃Blast　it；　this　waiting　is　irritating　me！　Drive　those　droids　harder；　Gerao；　or　I'll　leave　you　buried　on　this　godforsaken　world。　You　have　my　word　on　it！〃

Gerao's　emphatic　salute　signaled　that　he　understood　Khyron's　threat　pletely。　He　signed　off。　Khyron　began　to　drum　his　fingers　on　the　console。　Zor's　ship；　he　thought　to　himself。　Why　was　mander　in　Chief　Dolza　wasting　his　time　with　this　one　when　there　were　countless　worlds　left　to　conquer？　Since　when　were　the　Zentraedi　errand　boys？　If　the　Robotech　Masters　were　so　desperate　about　getting　Zor's　Protoculture　matrix　back；　they　could　go　retrieve　it　themselves。　What　did　Khyron　care　about　Protoculture？　It　was　the　Invid　Flowers　that　were　important　to　him。。。He　picked　up　one　of　the　dried　petals　and　regarded　it　lovingly：　Here　was　the　true　power。

As　Khyron　was　placing　the　petal　in　his　mouth；　the　face　of　one　of　his　troops　surfaced　on　the　Officer's　Pod　mo　screen。

〃We've　waited　long　enough；　mander；〃　the　soldier　said。　〃I'm　going　in　now。　Any　longer　and　we　will　jeopardize　our　mission。〃

To　Khyron's　amazement；　the　soldier's　Battlepod　fired　its　thrusters　and　began　to　lift　off　from　the　chasm　floor。　Was　he　seeing　things　or　had　this　fool　actually　decided　to　use　his　own　initiative？　Khyron　was　as　fond　of　insolence　as　anyone；　but　this　was　pushing　things　too　far。　He　allowed　the　pod　to　climb　almost　to　the　rim　of　the　chasm　before　bringing　up　one　of　the　cannon　arms　of　his　mecha　and　firing。　The　Battlepod　took　a　direct　hit；　turned　end　over　end；　and　plummeted　and　crashed　on　the　chasm　floor。

The　pilots　of　two　other　pods　hopped　their　crafts　over　to　their　fallen　rade　and　checked　his　status。

〃He's　still　alive；　my　lord。〃

〃So　much　the　worse　for　him；　then；〃　yelled　Khyron。　〃If　I　can　wait　here　patiently；　so　can　the　rest　of　you。　The　next　one　who　disobeys　my　orders　will　meet　a　worse　fate。　I　promise　you　that！〃

Khyron　was　imagining　his　underlings　stiffening　into　postures　of　salute　inside　the　pods　when　the　voice　of　Gerao　entered　the　headset。

〃My　lord；　I　fear　that　use　of　the　cannon　may　have　promised　our　position。　The　Micronian　recon　plane　is　circling　back　in　this　direction。〃

〃The　recon　plane！　Gerao；　are　you　ready　with　the　mines？〃

〃Just　ten　percent　more　to　go。〃

Khyron　slapped　his　hands　down　on　the　pod　console。　〃Ninety　percent　will　have　to　be　good　enough。　You　have　my　permission　to　attack！〃


Claudia　was　worried：　There　had　been　no　word　from　Lisa　for　almost　an　hour　now。　The　ining　data　from　the　base　had　terminated；　but　the　seismic　sensors　were　picking　up　something　new。　Captain　Gloval　and　Vanessa　were　trying　to　make　sense　of　the　readings。

〃Nearby　in　the　mountains；　I　think…a　disturbance　or　explosion；〃　said　Vanessa。

〃A　landslide；　perhaps。〃

〃No；　there's　too　much　sonic　attached　to　it。　It　must　have　been　an　explosion。〃

Gloval　turned　to　Claudia。　〃Instruct　the　Cat's…Eye　to　make　another　pass　over　the　eleven　o'clock　zone　at　the　fifteen…kilometer　perimeter。　And　see　to　it　that　recon　readings　are　patched　into　the　main　screen　here。〃

Claudia　contacted　the　Cat's…Eye；　and　within　minutes　new　data　was　filling　the　screen：　The　sensors　indicated　hundreds　of　individual　mecha　units　moving　in　from　the　cavernous　mountains　that　surrounded　Sara　Base。

〃Battlepods！〃　said　Gloval。　He　ordered　Claudia　to　sound　general　quarters。　〃Recall　all　transport　vehicles　immediately　and　scramble　the　Veritech　fighters！　They　won't　catch　us　napping　this　time！〃　Gloval　paced　the　bridge；　then　threw　himself　into　the　mand　chair。　〃Activate　the　gravity　control　system　and　prepare　the　ship　for　takeoff。〃

Claudia　swung　around　from　her　terminal。　〃But　Captain；　Lisa's　still　out　there。　She'll　never　make　it　back　in　time。〃

Gloval　waved　his　hand　in　a　gesture　of　dismissal。　〃I　told　her　I　didn't　want　her　to　enter　that　base。　Now　she'll　have　to　e　up　in　one　of　the　VTs。〃

Claudia　hid　a　look　of　concern　from　Gloval　and　carried　out　her　orders。　But　something　was　wrong：　The　ship　wasn't　lifting　off。　The　gravity　control　system　wasn't　damaged；　there　were　correct　readings　on　all　the　sensors；　but　the　SDF…1　would　not　rise。　It　bellowed　and　shuddered　like　some　captured　beast。

〃Captain；〃　Vanessa　managed　to　shout　above　the　noise；　〃the　seismic　sensor　indicates　an　intense　gravity　field　underlying　the　base！〃

Gloval　leaped　from　his　seat　to　study　the　threat　board。

〃Gravity　mines！　So　this　is　what　the　enemy　has　in　mind…they　mean　to　pin　us　down　like　a　trapped　insect。　Shut　down　all　engines　before　she　es　apart　at　the　seams！〃

〃Battlepods！〃　said　Claudia。

Gloval　and　the　bridge　crew　turned　to　face　the　front　bays：　The　Martian　sky　was　filled　with　enemy　mecha。


CHAPTER　SIX

It's　bee　my　routine　these　past　two　months　to　wander　over　to　the　observation　dome　and　spend　hours　at　the　scope　watching　our　beautiful　blue　and　white　world　transit　the　Martian　night。　How　bright；　how　incredibly　alive　and　tranquil；　Earth　appears　from　afar！　And　how　misleading　that　impression　is。。。I　often　think　about　our　last　night　together。　It　was　more　difficult　for　me　to　leave　you　than　to　leave　our　planet；　the　global　madness；　the　small　minds　at　work　who　have　robbed　us　of　our　dreams。　But　I　don't　want　to　get　started　on　all　this　again；　I　want　to　talk　about　this　place；　and　how　happy　I　know　you　will　be　here。　The　stars　seem　close　enough　to　touch；　our　distant　sun　no　less　warm；　and　even　these　incessant　winds　do　not　disturb。。。Base　Sara　is　a　new　experiment　in　peace；　a　new　experiment　in　the　future。。。
Karl　Riber；　Collected　Letters

The　battlepods　and　carapace　fighters　of　the　Botoru　Seventh　left　the　cover　of　the　mountain　chasms　and　descended　on　Sara　Base。　Khyron　led　the　assault；　screaming　into　his　municator；　〃Kill　them；　kill　them　all！〃

The　Robotech　forces　threw　everything　they　had　into　the　Martian　sky。　Battloids　and　Spartan　defenders　took　up　positions　on　the　base；　while　squadrons　of　Veritechs　went　up　to　meet　the　enemy　one　on　one。　The　main　batteries　and　CIWS　Phalanx　guns　of　the　grounded　space　fortress　rotated　into　position　and　filled　the　thin　air　with　orange　tracers；　armor…piercing　discarding　sabot　rounds；　and　deadly　thunder。

In　an　attempt　to　cut　off　the　supply　line　to　the　SDF…1；　Khyron　and　his　forces　went　after　the　transports　first。　The　pods　fell　from　the　Martian　sky　unleashing　a　torrent　of　energy　bolts　and　missiles。　The　all…terrain　trucks　bounded　off　the　gravel　highway　to　evade　fire；　but　scarcely　a　dozen　made　it　to　the　fortress　intact。　Explosions　tossed　the　vehicles　off　the　ground　like　toys；　and　soon　there　was　only　a　pathway　of　fire　where　the　vehicles　had　once　traveled。

The　Destroids　were　next　on　Khyron's　list；　then　he　turned　his　attention　to　the　Battleloids　and　Guardians。

The　Battloids　of　the　Skull　Team　were　positioned　along　the　SDF…1's　defensive　perimeter　when　they　received　launch　orders。　Roy　and　Rick　transformed　their　mecha　to　Guardian　mode　and　lifted　off　from　blasting　carpets　to　engage　the　enemy。

Rick　retracted　the　legs　and　threw　the　fighter　into　a　long　vertical　climb；　exchanging　fire　with　three　pods　on　the　way　up。　The　three　gave　chase　while　he　banked　at　the　crest　of　his　ascent　and　dropped　off　into　a　fusillade　fall；　weapons　blazing　as　he　came　back　down　on　them。　Heatseekers　ripped　from　his　mecha；　scoring　hits　against　two　pods。

Rick　and　the　remaining　enemy　raced　above　the　rough　terrain；　trading　shots。　At　the　foot　of　the　mountains　they　split　apart；　only　to　encounter　each　other　at　the　craggy　summits。　It　was　a　game　of　aerial　chicken；　pod　and　fighter　on　a　collision　course；　Zentraedi　and　Terran　pilots　emptying　their　guns。

Rick　yo…yoed　and　took　the　fight　deeper　into　the　mountains。　The　enemy　pursued　him；　launching　rockets　which　Rick's　mecha　successfully　evaded　with　breaks　and　jinks　and　high　barrel　rolls。

Skull　twenty…three　banked　sharply　now　and　fell　away　into　a　narrow　valley；　luring　its　opponent　toward　a　forest　of　wind…eroded　rock　spires。　Rick　used　two　of　his　rockets　to　blast　an　opening　for　himself　and　dove　in。　The　pod　stayed　with　him　but　was　having　trouble　negotiating　the　forest's　tight　groupings　of　columns。　Too　late；　the　enemy　pilot　attempted　to　pull　out；　one　of　the　pod's　clawlike　legs　snagged　on　a　spire；　and　the　pod　suddenly　became　a　highspeed　pinball；　careening　from　tower　to　tower。　Flames　and　debris　from　the　resounding　explosion　tore　past　Rick's　mecha　as　he　climbed　from　the　canyon。

This　was　more　like　it；　he　told　himself；　rejoining　his　battle　group　on　the　Martian　plain。　Sky　above；　ground　below。　Sound　and　light；　explosions　of　finality。　No　clouds　for　cover；　but　it　seemed　as　though　you　could　see　forever　through　the　thin　air。

Just　then　Roy's　face　appeared　on　the　left　screen　of　his　cockpit。

〃What　d'　ya　think；　Little　Brother？　It's　a　little　like　the　old　days；　isn't　it？〃

〃The　‘old'　days；　yeah；　four　months　ago！〃

Roy　laughed。　〃Let's　get　'em；　tiger！〃

Rick　watched　his　friend's　fighter　face　down　two　of　the　pods　and　dispatch　both　of　them。　He　quickly　scanned　the　busy　sky：　If　each　Veritech　could　take　out　two　pods；　the　enemy　would　only　have　them　outnumbered　four　to　one。


From　the　bridge　of　the　SDF…1；　Gloval　and　his　crew　had　a　clear　view　of　the　ongoing　massacre。　Brilliant　strobelike　flashes　of　explosive　light　spilled　in　through　the　forward　and　side　bays　as　the　enemy　continued　to　pour　fire　at　the　ship。　The　fortress　rocked　and　vibrated　to　the　staccato　beat　of　battle。　The　Martian　landscape　had　bee　an